Parliament passes the Local Content Bill, 2019.

By Leonard Kamugisha AKIDA.

Parliament has passed the long awaited local content bill, 2019 giving a grimmer of hopes to Ugandans to reduce the skyrocketing unemployment.

Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda earlier today’s afternoon confirmed that Parliament passed the bill which seeks to priotise uganda citizens and companies in the procurement.

According to Speaker Kadaga, the bill when passed into law shall seee investors, anyone using natural resources, public funds employing 100% of Ugandans in unskilled labour force and 60% in skilled labour among others.

“As away of creating employment, protecting our economy, investors will be required to hire 100% Ugandans for its unskilled labour force and 60% for its skilled labour.

Kadaga urged local entrepreneurs to gear up in ensuring they produce goods and services which meet quality standards.

The local content bill, 2019 was moved by MP Patrick Nsamba Oshabe representing the people of Kasanda South together with Bukoto South Mp Muyanja Mbabali in January 2019.

The objective of the Bill is to im­pose lo­cal con­tent oblig­a­tions on a per­son us­ing pub­lic money or uti­liz­ing Ugan­da’s nat­ural re­sources or car­ry­ing on an ac­tiv­ity re­quir­ing a li­cense; to pri­or­i­tize Ugan­dan cit­i­zens, Ugan­dan and res­i­dent com­pa­nies in pub­lic pro­cure­ment; to en­sure skills and tech­nol­ogy trans­fer to Ugan­dan; to pro­vide for the de­vel­op­ment of lo­cal con­tent plans; to pro­vide for the su­per­vi­sion, co­or­di­na­tion, mon­i­tor­ing and im­ple­men­ta­tion of lo­cal con­tent in Uganda; and for re­lated mat­ters.

Upon its introduction on the floor of the Parliament, the local content bill, 2019 received a green light from Speaker Kadaga without a Certificate of Financial Implications.

In contrast to the above, a section of legislators were first opposing the bill saying that it is against the regional protocols.

The Local Content policy is already working in African countries of Nigeria, Kenya among others. Its reported that the law has influenced in curbing down unemployment where in countries which it is applied.